This invention relates to an assembly for use with concrete wall forms and, more particularly, to an inside corner forming member alone or in combination with such assembly and/or outside corner walers.
In concrete wall construction, the wall form typically is assembled at a job site. Even today these forms are often custom-built from wooden studs sheathed with plywood for one-time use. Advantageously, on larger construction sites, reusable mobile wall forms are used, typically ganged together and shifted as the height and length of the concrete wall is formed.
Various structures are used as backing support to the plywood panels so as to resist the forces exterted on those wall form panels during the formation of the concrete walls. As one example of such support structures, wooden studs are secured to the panel and then load-gathering horizontal wales are secured to the vertical studs, with the latter occasionally backed by vertical strongbacks, thereby providing a rigid support for the panel. In a more modern application, the panels are backed by horizontal joists, or beams, which in turn are secured by vertical steel double-channel wales. Recently, these joists and wales have been formed of aluminum, resulting in light weight, easily handled, strong, and rigid components, relatively easy to manufacture, and readily reusable.
These structures are described in various editions of Formwork for Concrete by M. K. Hurd published by the American Concrete Institute since 1963 (e.g. see FIGS. 4-11, 6-2, 9-34, 9-35, and 11-17 of the 2d edition).
An example of on site concrete molds constructed of such wall forms is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,144,690. Even today custom-built wood corners remain the standard construction technique. This is true in spite of numerous suggested improvements over the years. See for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,051,329, 2,313,880, 2,789,337, and 2,826,801.
In another problem with the prior art, the edge of the plywood panel used to form the inside corner is not protected. This means that the edge often becomes chipped or split when that panel is shifted to other locations or is otherwise manipulated. This can affect the integrity of the mold (causing leaks), the quality of the finished concrete, as well as the life of the panels; thus adding to the expense of construction.
Also, many inside corner forming members generally are secured only to the panels which are used therewith. Without additional rigid support, the inside corner assembly may be undesirably weak.